Valve head attachment for filling mechanism



pril 23, 1957 P. E. LUTHER 2,789,592

VALVE HEAD ATTACHMENT FOR FILLING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 18, 1955 'liaeallfael' IN VEN TOR.

PAUL E. LUTHERl @QZ BY TTORNEYS.

United States Patent C VALVE HEAD ATTACHMENT FOR FILLING MECHANISM Paul E. Luther, Galiland, Calif.

Application September 18, 1953, Serial No. 380,@69 4 Claims. (Cl. 141-486) The present invention relates to anY attachment for the head of a filling` valve or the like adapted to facilitate and control the filling of containers and the like with such a valve.

In the use of filling valves difficulty is often encountered with clogging of the valve opening particularly in canning operations. Where the container to be filled with brine or the like contains other material such as fruit the relative movement of the container and valve head whereby the valve head enters the container in the process of opening the valve often presses the fruit into the valve opening to partially or wholly close same so that insufficient liquid enters the container. While numerous filling valves of this type are known and used they all cornmonly suffer from this fault and particularly in canning operations is this undesirable for improper canning then results. The present invention operates to free the valve opening and to prevent clogging of same without the provision of screens or the like which require undue maintenance and are so 4difficult to keep clean as to raise problems of sanitation. provides means for controlling or predetermining the maximum amount of fluid placed in the container through the valve by establishing an air pocket of predeterminable size which remains free of liquid and remains at the top of the container during and after the filling operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved valve head attachment for filling mechanism.

It is another 4object of the present invention to provide an improved valve head attachment maintaining free the opening in a filling valve.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved valve head attachment for filling mechanism limiting filling to a predetermined amount by establishing an air pocket at the top of the container being filled.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention Whi-ch is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. lt is i i to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and ldescription may 'be adopted within the scope of the invention -as set forth in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the valve head attachment.

Figure 2 is a sectional View of the valve head attachment taken at 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a center section of the valve head attachment assembled with a fil-ling valve shown only in part.

Considering now the structural details of preferred embodiment of the drawing and referring to the drawings the attachment 11 is formed as a molded unit from a resilient material such as rubber and includes a fiat discshaped upper portion 12 having a central circular bos-s 13 on the upper surface yand an axial aperture 14 therethrough which may have a conical lower end to accom- The present invention further modate -a dat headed bolt. The upper portion 12 is preferahly at least semi-rigid so as to resist deformation and to this end there is molded into the upper portion a thin disc, 15 of :metal such as brass or the like and extending radially outward from the central aperture 14. In addition to the upper portion 12 there is also provided an annular wall 16 depending from the periphery of the upper portion and extend-ing normal to same. The outer periphery of the upper portion may be beveled as indicated for alignment with a valve head, as noted below, and there is form-ed about the wall 16 an inclined lower surface 17 which extends from the lower edge 1S of the outer wall surface radially inward of the wall and upward toward the upper portion 12. In order to provide an air pocket of predetermined depth in a container being filled by a filling valve employing the valve head attachnient of the present invention there are provided openings radially through the wall 16 Iat a predetermined distance from the under surface ofthe upper portion 12 and these openings may consist of slits 19 extending axially of the wall from the lower edge 18 thereof, as shown yin Figure 2, or may take other forms such as cylindrical apertures 21 radially through the wall 16, as shown in Figure 3. lt is contemplated that various valve head attachment-s with the wall openings at different distances from the under surface of the upper portion 12 will be employed with each filling valve so that by the replacement of the attachment a different predetermined fluid level may be obtained in containers being filled.

Considering now the operation of the valve and referring to Figure 3, the valve head 4attachment 11 is shown mounted upon the valve head 22 of a filling valve 23 by means of a bolt 24 extending upwardly through the central aperture 14 in the upper portion 12 of the attachment. The boss 13 of the Vattachment fits into a. cylindrical opening in the outward side of the valve head 22 to insure against displacement of the attachment and the beveled edge of the upper portion 12 aligns with the conical valve head surface to provide even ow of fluid thereover. The valve illustrated includes an annular seal ring 27 about the under surface of the valve sleeve 26 against which a can or container 28 presses to seal the connection and t-o `raise the valve sleeve 26 as against the force of a spring 29 to open the valve into the posit-ion shown.

As the valve is opened by relative movement of the valve head 22 and container 2S the valve head moves into the container with the valve head attachment in the can so that material such as fruit or the like already in the can is first engaged by the lower edge 13 of the resilient annular wall 16. Because of the inclined or frustoconical lower surface 17 of the Wall 16 and the resiliency of the wall engagement of objects by the lower wall edge 18 tends to deforrn the wall outward, i. e., the wall tends to encompass Vsuch objects by stretching over same and the wall further operates to draw such objects radially inward as it moves further over them for the upper wall portion being thicker is less readily deformable and the ever present resilient force of the wall tends to restore the wall to original position. The net effect of the wall 16 is thus to urge objects inwardly of same rand by making the wall diameter only slightly less than the inside diameter of the can being filled the wall substantially clears the annular volume outside of the wall so that the valve opening is free lfor admission of fluid and exit of lair.

ln addition to the above noted action of the valve head attachment it serves the function of defining the level to which the container is filled at some amount less than completely full. Thus conventional filling valves provide for air exit at one side of the valve opening and uid entrance at the other and the device of the present invention retains a predetermined amount of air within the container so that fluid cannot till the container beyond this point and a predetermined uid level results. Within the wall 16 and below the lower surface of upper portion 12 of the valve head attachment there is produced an air pocket and the openings in the wall determine the depth of this pocket. Air is -forced out of the pocket through the apertures 2, for example, by fluid rising in the container vas supplied by the valve until the Huid reaches the top of the apertures whereat the relatively incompressible air entrapped therein prevents further rise of the uid. This air pocket further cushions fruit or the like at the top of the container and by selecting a Valve head attachment with the wall apertures spa-ced a desired distance from the under surface of the upper portion of the attachment a predetermined fluid level is obtained in the container.

If desired, and as indicated in the drawing, a plurality of vertically disposed peripherally spaced ribs 31 may be formed as an integral part of `or secured to the wall 16 of the attachment. As was hereinabove stated, the wall 16 is capable of deformation and in some instances may be caused to lie immediately adjacent the inner wall surface of the cam 28 so as to electively block the normally available fluid passage in the can. However, by means of the ribs 31, the latter will, upon deformation of the wall 16, engage the can wall, 'and the spacing between the ribs will permit flow of ilu-id therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A valve head attachment for lling mechanism comprising a semi-rigid upper portion adapted for lconnection to the outer surface of the valve head yof filling mechanism, and a resilient annular wall extending from said upper portion about the edge thereof and hav-ing a reduced cross Sectio-n at the outer edge thereof, said wall having openings radially therethrough in spaced relation to said upper portion for dening an air pocket in the attachment of predetermined depth perpendicular to said upper portion.

2. A valve head attachment for a illing valve having a head relatively movable with respect to means to be filled thereby and into same comprising an annular wall adapted for mounting upon the outer surface of said valve head for extending perpendicularly therefrom into containers to be filled and having radial openings therein at a predetermined distance from the valve head for delining an lair pocket or predetermined depth normal to the valve head and thereby limiting filling of containers by said valve mechanism.

3. Valve head attachment means for a filling valve having a valve head adapted to extend into containers to be lled comprising a disc-shaped upper portion having stiening therein adapted for mounting upon the outer surface of said valve head and su-bstantially coextensive therewith, anda resilient annular wall extending normal to said upper portion about the edges thereof and having the lower surface thereof inclined toward said upper portion from the maximum circumference to the minimum circumference and said wall having a plurality of slots extending radially therethrough yand axially thereof from the outer edge to equal distances from said upper portion for defining thereabove an air pocket of predetermined depth'li-miting lling of containers.

4. An improved valve head attachment comprising a flat upper portion including a central aperture adapted for mounting upon a valve head and an annular wall depending therefrom about the periphery of said portion, said wall being formed of a resilient material and having the lower surface thereof tapered radially inwardly toward the upper portion from the wall outer surface to inner surface whereby same is deformable radially outward and resiliently returnable to normal lcontiguration from deformed position, the outer periphery of said annular wall being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced elements extending radially outward therefrom to define a plurality of axial passages.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,394,453 Thompson Oct. 18, 1921 1,497,869 Northrup Iune- 17, 1924 1,498,333 Thompson lune 17, 1924 1,865,227 Arzino June 28, 1932 

